My 30 day iPhone 5 Journey

[Night Spring]

Just two things:

1) just because something is "harder" or "more difficult" doesn't mean it's hard or difficult. Just more so in comparison. So no there is no difference of definition of what difficult means.

2) objectively speaking, no one that I know of prefers a more difficult way of doing things on their smartphone. If there are its a rare and odd lot indeed.

1) Sometimes, people do have different definitions of difficult. For instance, you've said you don't like a physical home button and prefer gestures. I find that most gestures are (for me) harder to use than the home button.

2) I do, for example, prefer jailbreaking my iOS devices and using SBSettings or NCsettings and skip having to go to the Settings app to adjust various system settings. Those jailbreak tweaks are definitely easier than stock iOS. However, if something goes wrong with my jailbroken devices and I have to go back to stock, I wouldn't jump to Android -- not because I prefer doing things the "hard" way, but because for me, learning a different OS and having to find replacements for all the iOS apps I've accumulated would be a lot of trouble, so I'd rather put up with the minor (to me) inconveniences of stock iOS.

 

[Lava Lamp Freak]

Having said that... I am really not convinced I want an S4 nor an HTC One. It's a bit of a dilemma. So, do I hold onto the iPhone and wait until the Phone X, or the next Nexus? I don't know. I'm really quite torn.

I know how you feel because I'm going through the exact same thing right now. After I returned my Nexus 4, I bought an iPhone 5 because I could no longer stand my 4S. I'm not thrilled with the iPhone 5, but there is nothing else out right now that I like better than the iPhone 5. At least the iPhone 5 has a great resale value. It should sell for around the cost of a Galaxy S4.

 

[onthecouchagain]

I know how you feel because I'm going through the exact same thing right now. After I returned my Nexus 4, I bought an iPhone 5 because I could no longer stand my 4S. I'm not thrilled with the iPhone 5, but there is nothing else out right now that I like better than the iPhone 5. At least the iPhone 5 has a great resale value. It should sell for around the cost of a Galaxy S4.

Agreed.

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1

2) I do, for example, prefer jailbreaking my iOS devices and using SBSettings or NCsettings and skip having to go to the Settings app to adjust various system settings. Those jailbreak tweaks are definitely easier than stock iOS. However, if something goes wrong with my jailbroken devices and I have to go back to stock, I wouldn't jump to Android -- not because I prefer doing things the "hard" way, but because for me, learning a different OS and having to find replacements for all the iOS apps I've accumulated would be a lot of trouble, so I'd rather put up with the minor (to me) inconveniences of stock iOS.

Difficulty in using an OS versus difficulty in switching OSes are different things. That's known as a learning curve and it can def. be hard.

My point is very simple: one OS allows you to do most things easier. The end.

 

[Vegastouch]

1) Sometimes, people do have different definitions of difficult. For instance, you've said you don't like a physical home button and prefer gestures. I find that most gestures are (for me) harder to use than the home button.

2) I do, for example, prefer jailbreaking my iOS devices and using SBSettings or NCsettings and skip having to go to the Settings app to adjust various system settings. Those jailbreak tweaks are definitely easier than stock iOS. However, if something goes wrong with my jailbroken devices and I have to go back to stock, I wouldn't jump to Android -- not because I prefer doing things the "hard" way, but because for me, learning a different OS and having to find replacements for all the iOS apps I've accumulated would be a lot of trouble, so I'd rather put up with the minor (to me) inconveniences of stock iOS.

It would be a lot easier than you think. All you have to do is ask in here for the equivalent to certain apps and im sure you can find most, if not all. Seems to come thru all the time that ive seen.
Hec you can try it now. Name a few apps that you would need to find on Android.

You would need a few weeks to feel comfortable with Android though and i mean by that, is you will find things you may not have known about as you go but generally you can find your way around or you could just ask here.

Not everyone gives it a fair trial and still use their iPhone during their short trial period and dont really give Android a fair chance, get frustrated and think they cant find this or cant do that and complain in here about it and then posters tell them how to do it.

 

[onthecouchagain]

It would be a lot easier than you think. All you have to do is ask in here for the equivalent to certain apps and im sure you can find most, if not all. Seems to come thru all the time that ive seen.
Hec you can try it now. Name a few apps that you would need to find on Android.

You would need a few weeks to feel comfortable with Android though and i mean by that, is you will find things you may not have known about as you go but generally you can find your way around or you could just ask here.

Not everyone gives it a fair trial and still use their iPhone during their short trial period and dont really give Android a fair chance, get frustrated and think they cant find this or cant do that and complain in here about it and then posters tell them how to do it.

In generally, it's usually pretty silly to not make a switch if it ultimately is better for you.

 

[ugahairydawgs]

It would be a lot easier than you think. All you have to do is ask in here for the equivalent to certain apps and im sure you can find most, if not all. Seems to come thru all the time that ive seen.
Hec you can try it now. Name a few apps that you would need to find on Android.

You would need a few weeks to feel comfortable with Android though and i mean by that, is you will find things you may not have known about as you go but generally you can find your way around or you could just ask here.

.

Problem there is that most don't care enough to put in the time for that. If you have something now that works fine enough there's really no compelling reason to make a jump.

 

[Vegastouch]

In generally, it's usually pretty silly to not make a switch if it ultimately is better for you.

Is why i switched , and the bigger screens... and it just keeps getting better.

 

[Night Spring]

Hec you can try it now. Name a few apps that you would need to find on Android.

Ok, well first thing I'll need is a way to keep my iTunes library (music and videos -- especially play counts on the music) synced with an Android phone.

Then I need to have my contacts, calendar and notes sync across my phone and tablet.

And I really like iCloud backup -- I buy a new iPhone, I just restore from my backup, and presto, it's like I have the exact same phone I had before.

As for apps, lets see -- my most used apps are Eternity, Due, FileBrowser, Moves, Instapaper, Zite, Find My Friends, iMessage, and oh, AirVideo, and I like using AirPlay to stream videos from my iDevices to my AppleTV.

Oh, and iBooks -- I'll need a good ePub reader.

I'm probably forgetting a few things, but that will be the minimum I'd have to replace, I think.

 

[Vegastouch]

Problem there is that most don't care enough to put in the time for that. If you have something now that works fine enough there's really no compelling reason to make a jump.

Unless you want more. It isnt like you have to learn a new language. It just takes a little bit to be comfortable with more options.

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Ok, well first thing I'll need is a way to keep my iTunes library (music and videos -- especially play counts on the music) synced with an Android phone.

Then I need to have my contacts, calendar and notes sync across my phone and tablet.

And I really like iCloud backup -- I buy a new iPhone, I just restore from my backup, and presto, it's like I have the exact same phone I had before.

As for apps, lets see -- my most used apps are Eternity, Due, FileBrowser, Moves, Instapaper, Zite, Find My Friends, iMessage, and oh, AirVideo, and I like using AirPlay to stream videos from my iDevices to my AppleTV.

Oh, and iBooks -- I'll need a good ePub reader.

I'm probably forgetting a few things, but that will be the minimum I'd have to replace, I think.

I dont have all the answers since i havent used a iPhone for a long while. But, #1 you use the App iSyncr from the Playstore. There are others but that one is really easy though there is a pay version and a free one. The free one only lets you sync 20 songs a day.

Android does the same thing when you get a new one from a older one. Uses your Google email and it syncs all your apps and everything else automatically.

Somewhere in here recently, somebody posted a link to two apps that sync your icloud stuff from Apple. Dont recall where they were. Maybe somebody else does.

 

[Night Spring]

Unless you want more. It isnt like you have to learn a new language. It just takes a little bit to be comfortable with more options.

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I dont have all the answers since i havent used a iPhone for a long while. But, #1 you use the App iSyncr from the Playstore. There are others but that one is really easy though there is a pay version and a free one. The free one only lets you sync 20 songs a day.

So I need to pay for a function I now get for free (I have about 2000+ songs). I agree that switching mobile OS isn't as big a deal as learning a new language, but I'm not really seeing a big incentive here to switch. So some things are a bit easier on Android. Other things are easier or simpler on iOS. If I'm happy with iOS, why bother?

 

[Dmaynard83]

Red = in general a good question

Simplicity, smooth fluid design. I have a note 2 and before I rooted it I honestly felt my iphone 5 was faster and smoother navigating around the interface

 

[Vegastouch]

So I need to pay for a function I now get for free (I have about 2000+ songs). I agree that switching mobile OS isn't as big a deal as learning a new language, but I'm not really seeing a big incentive here to switch. So some things are a bit easier on Android. Other things are easier or simpler on iOS. If I'm happy with iOS, why bother?

No, i just gave one example. There are more.

Im not trying to get you to switch. Dont really care if you do just wanted to show you that there are apps that do the same thing you have now and you can get your stuff transfered over but you just made it clear you arent really interested in knowing so .....

 

[Night Spring]

No, i just gave one example. There are more.

Im not trying to get you to switch. Dont really care if you do just wanted to show you that there are apps that do the same thing you have now and you can get your stuff transfered over but you just made it clear you arent really interested in knowing so .....

Actually, you didn't give me any examples of Android apps that do the same things I do now with my iOS apps.

While it's true that I'm not very interested in switching to Android at the moment, I AM curious if Android apps can replicate the functionality of the iOS apps I've mentioned, so if you or anybody else could offer suggestions, I'd be interested to hear.

But I think I've proven my point that it is a lot of work to figure out this stuff -- you say there are ways to sync my iTunes library with Android phones for free, but apparently, you can't name one off the top of your head. You say "oh, there are free options," and leave me to do the research. No, I'm not asking you to go find out the names of the free syncing programs, just pointing out that, apparently, finding them isn't so simple.

There are reasons why people stick with iOS, despite the fact that many things are easier on Amdroid. And for the same reason, I wouldn't advise people to switch from Android to iOS if they are happy with Android. For that matter, I have an iMac that is running Windows 7 most of the time, because I keep finding that if I already know how to do something in Windows, it's easy to keep doing things in Windows rather than to try to learn how to do it in OS X. It's not that one is better than the other, it's that both are about the same, so why not stick to the one I'm used to?

Now, as far as Windows is concerned, if Microsoft doesn't fix Windows 8, I might be switching to OS X. So if Apple ever messes up iOS as badly as Microsoft messed up with Windows 8, well, I'll be looking at my options then!

 

[roxxette]

Windows 8 is the best and most stable OS Microsoft have shipped its even faster and gets **** done than osx

 

[Night Spring]

Windows 8 is the best and most stable OS Microsoft have shipped its even faster and gets **** done than osx

It might be faster and more stable, but the dual UI sucks! I hope Microsoft makes it so that if you are on a desktop/laptop, you never have to see any Metro. And the atrocity that is the new Office... *shudder* Microsoft isn't giving me much reason to stick with them, here.

 

[roxxette]

It might be faster and more stable, but the dual UI sucks! I hope Microsoft makes it so that if you are on a desktop/laptop, you never have to see any Metro. And the atrocity that is the new Office... *shudder* Microsoft isn't giving me much reason to stick with them, here.

I wont argue that, imo its mostly subjective.

The Metro UI havent bother me one bit regarding the new office cant comment.

They allready working on the next update, seems they going to take the same apple approach of incremental updates and who knows maybe they will offer the classic look as option.

Wouldnt hold my breath

 

[jrswizzle]

Actually, you didn't give me any examples of Android apps that do the same things I do now with my iOS apps.

While it's true that I'm not very interested in switching to Android at the moment, I AM curious if Android apps can replicate the functionality of the iOS apps I've mentioned, so if you or anybody else could offer suggestions, I'd be interested to hear.

But I think I've proven my point that it is a lot of work to figure out this stuff -- you say there are ways to sync my iTunes library with Android phones for free, but apparently, you can't name one off the top of your head. You say "oh, there are free options," and leave me to do the research. No, I'm not asking you to go find out the names of the free syncing programs, just pointing out that, apparently, finding them isn't so simple.

There are reasons why people stick with iOS, despite the fact that many things are easier on Amdroid. And for the same reason, I wouldn't advise people to switch from Android to iOS if they are happy with Android. For that matter, I have an iMac that is running Windows 7 most of the time, because I keep finding that if I already know how to do something in Windows, it's easy to keep doing things in Windows rather than to try to learn how to do it in OS X. It's not that one is better than the other, it's that both are about the same, so why not stick to the one I'm used to?

Now, as far as Windows is concerned, if Microsoft doesn't fix Windows 8, I might be switching to OS X. So if Apple ever messes up iOS as badly as Microsoft messed up with Windows 8, well, I'll be looking at my options then!

Coming from a longtime iPhone user, a self-proclaimed iOS/iPhone apologist AND a Nexus 4 user, I can tell you - the switch isn't really that difficult....

I use the standard Google Play music for my song library (roughly 8,000 songs) - anything I purchase on any of my iOS devices automatically syncs to my N4. Just have a little bit of initial setup involved (turning on auto-download on your main computer, download the music manager from Google, set the folder to pull from to the iTunes folder and make sure iTunes manages that folder and keeps it organized for best results).

As for the backup situation, there isn't anything as good as iCloud backups (that's free anyways). Sure Google will save all your apps and re-download them to your phone, but then you have to re-arrange everything again - or make sure you physically save your launcher layout in whichever launcher you are using (mine is Nova and it will only save to an SD Card, not the cloud).

As for your specific apps I have no idea. I have found all the apps I use, though they are pretty generic and there are some iOS apps that have been updated since while the Android version has not.

The more I use both, the more I find issues like Couch's to be way overblown. The comments about the iPhone 5 being some outdated, crippled piece of technology are ridiculous just as those comments that Android is a laggy, buggy OS are. These phones aren't all that different. Learning curve with each to be sure, but the Nexus/Android hasn't been some life-changing thing where all of the sudden I'm infinitely more productive because the N4 can do "so much more".....

I use my smartphone how I use it. No amount of gimmicks or options is going to change that. It takes a true innovation to get people like me to move away from how I do things - and I generally do the same things, in slightly different ways, with both phones.

Here's my big Android vs. iOS comparison:

On Android I have 6 different ways to call my wife, all readily accessible (simply to try things out).

On iOS I have 2, maybe 3.

This is the epitome of this war - Android gives you "options", but whether or not these options are better is really highly subjective and therefore invalid in an argument of superiority.

For me, I like both and use both. I'm a tech junkie and am fascinated by all this stuff. If I HAD to keep one, I'd keep my iPhone - simply because of my familiarity with it and it hits all my needs/wants (plus most of my family uses an iPhone). But since I am able to use both (personal line and work line - work line REQUIRES an iPhone), I do.

And you most CERTAINLY should switch to OSX and a Mac....best decision I ever made....its torturous working on this Dell at work....

 

[Vegastouch]

Actually, you didn't give me any examples of Android apps that do the same things I do now with my iOS apps.

I gave you one. A free version and said there is a paid version. There are actually many to choose from. One easy and free one is Easy Phone Tunes but again, i havent used a iPhone for nearly 3 years so im not up on these things.
You can also sign up for Google Music and tell it to import your iTunes songs and it will load them all for you and everytime you add a song to iTunes it will automatically add it to your Google music. I dont use iTunes but i tell it to load songs i add on my computer and it loads them up. I dont like to stream my music, i prefer to put music on my MicroSD card.

While it's true that I'm not very interested in switching to Android at the moment, I AM curious if Android apps can replicate the functionality of the iOS apps I've mentioned, so if you or anybody else could offer suggestions, I'd be interested to hear.

But I think I've proven my point that it is a lot of work to figure out this stuff -- you say there are ways to sync my iTunes library with Android phones for free, but apparently, you can't name one off the top of your head. You say "oh, there are free options," and leave me to do the research. No, I'm not asking you to go find out the names of the free syncing programs, just pointing out that, apparently, finding them isn't so simple.

Well, no..you havent proved your point at all. If you start a thread saying you switched or want to switch and wanted to know how to do certain things and get certain apps, posters will respond and help. See it all the time in here. I didnt leave you to figure it out,lol...thats ridiculous, i said i didnt have all the answers and then you said you werent interested.

 

[onthecouchagain]

Well this is interesting...

Tmobile users will have to buy a more specific "Tmobile version" of the iPh 5 on April 12th if you want to fully take advantage of HSPA+ on Tmobile.

http://www.tmonews.com/2013/03/appl...bands-existing-devices-wont-have-aws-support/

This is actually great news. Come April 12th, I can swap out my current iPh5 for a Tmobile version, thus granting me another 30 days while I wait for S4 and USA HTC One reviews.

INTERESTING.

 

[onthecouchagain]

Important question:

The slightly tweaked April 12th iPhone 5 will undoubtedly be released with 6.1.3.

Can that be jailbroken???

 

[Vegastouch]

Well this is interesting...

Tmobile users will have to buy a more specific "Tmobile version" of the iPh 5 on April 12th if you want to fully take advantage of HSPA+ on Tmobile.

http://www.tmonews.com/2013/03/appl...bands-existing-devices-wont-have-aws-support/

This is actually great news. Come April 12th, I can swap out my current iPh5 for a Tmobile version, thus granting me another 30 days while I wait for S4 and USA HTC One reviews.

INTERESTING.

The Tmo version is getting HD voice calling. The GS4 comes out May 1st and both it and the HTC One will be $99 as well on T-Mobile.

 

[onthecouchagain]

The Tmo version is getting HD voice calling. The GS4 comes out May 1st and both it and the HTC One will be $99 as well on T-Mobile.

Yeah. It all works out, timing-wise, for me.

Now... just a matter of which one to stick with.

 

[Vegastouch]

Important question:

The slightly tweaked April 12th iPhone 5 will undoubtedly be released with 6.1.3.

Can that be jailbroken???

Eventually. Go tweet and ask one of the three dev team guys..lol.

 

[onthecouchagain]

Eventually. Go tweet and ask one of the three dev team guys..lol.

Yeah, it depends when "eventually" is. iOS is unbearable without jailbreak.

 

[Vegastouch]

Yeah, it depends when "eventually" is. iOS is unbearable without jailbreak.

Is why for my phone i wont consider it. I dont want to deal with jailbreaks anymore or with iTunes. Jailbreaks are slower and slower. Then there is the small screen.

Wont consider iPhone til they ate least go to a 4.5" screen at minimum...and it has to be wider too.

I did see a video of the HTC One and it was impressive. I have time to check em out. I wont be getting another phone for 3 to 6 months.